Los Al Hosts Del Ano Trials

Fillies race in La Primera, males in the El Primero trials.

Flame N Flash was named the AQHA champion 3-year-old filly in 2012 based on an outstanding campaign that included a victory in the La Primera Del Ano Derby (G2) at Los Alamitos.

Twenty-five fillies would love to duplicate some of the successs that Flame N Flash enjoyed last year, as they will be in action in the trials to this year’s $199,400 La Primera Del Ano (G2) for fillies on Saturday night. The fillies with the 10 fastest times in the trials will advance to the La Primera final on Saturday, April 6.

The top names in the trials include Revv Me Up, the runner-up in the recent Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes, Governor’s Cup Futurity (RG2) winner Secretly Hot, Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) finalist Lavish Susan and several futurity finalists like Watch Linda Ballet and Tres Racer. Robert Williams, who campaigned Flame N Flash to her championship title last year, owns Watch Linda Ballet, a winner of three of six career starts. She competed in both the Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1) and Golden State Million Futurity (G1) last year and her appearance in the second of four trials represents her sophomore debut.

While Watch Linda Ballet is making her first start of 2013, John and Cina Sperry’s Revv Me Up is already a pro racing as a 3-year-old. The Stel Corona filly will be making her third outing of the year, but she’s still looking for the first win of her career. The filly has played the role of bridesmaid in six of her eight lifetime starts, but she is too consistent to remain a maiden much longer. A two-time major futurity finalist last year, Revv Me Up will start from post number five in the fourth and final La Primera trial.

Revv Me Up will have to deal with Manuel Lorenzana’s accomplished Secretly Hot in the fourth trial. The daughter of Walk Thru Fire won the Governor’s Cup Futurity on California Breeders Champions Night last July and in her last race as a 2-year-old she was a winner in the Holiday Handicap on December 30. In her sophomore debut, Secretly Hot broke behind the leaders while finishing sixth against the boys in a trial to the Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1). She’ll start to the outside of Revv Me Up from post number six in this trial.

Other talented fillies racing in the La Primera Del Ano trials include Gustavo De La Torre’s Lavish Susan, a former claimer who rose through the ranks to qualify to the $2,108,274 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. Making her first start since finishing ninth in California’s richest horse race, Lavish Susan will face Watch Linda Ballet in the second trial.

Jo Rae Burns and Mike Casselman’s Dawn Of A New Day is one of the top fillies to watch in the first race after scoring an allowance victory here on February 20. She also won her trial to the Governor’s Cup Futurity by 3/4 lengths last year. The first trial will also feature Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes finalist Forgotten Dynasty, recent allowance runner-ups Jewel First Cat SA and Our Secret Queen and recent maiden winner Feature Malinche.

A pair of finalists to the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity (G2) will headline the third trial race. Gustavo and Jose De La Torre’s Slightys Mac A Tac finished sixth in the Breeders Futurity last year and also won her trial to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. The filly by Tac It Like A Man will be joined by San Gregorio Racing Stables’ Breeders Futurity finalist Fireworks in this trial. Both fillies will be making their 2013 debuts. Ed Allred’s Without Fault, a winner in her first two starts before running fourth against the boys in a trial to the Winter Derby, will join them in this trial, as will Kindergarten Futurity (G2) finalist Tres Racer, Mile High and Rocky Mountain Futurity finalist One Fancy Eagle and recent allowance third place finisher Sparta. In addition to Revv Me Up and Secretly Hot, Zory Kuzyk’s highly regarded Beautiful Fire will also see action in the fourth and final trial. She posted a sizzling time when she broke her maiden in her debut last year. Three others will compete in this trial.

Freedom Choice, who posted the fastest qualifying time to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity last year, and Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1) runner-up Perrys Affair are among the 24 horses that have been entered to run in the 400-yard trials to the $205,900 El Primero Del Ano Derby (G2) on Sunday.

The nine-race card will get underway at 5:15 p.m. with the first of four trials set to begin in the sixth race. The horses with the 10 fastest times will move on the El Primero final on Sunday, April 7.

Racing for Jose and Gustavo De La Torre, Freedom Choice’s start in the second El Primero trial will be his first outing since finishing third to Matabari in the $2,108,000 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity on December 16. Freedom Choice, a colt by A Regal Choice, had previously scored a 2 1/4 length victory in his Two Million trial in the night’s fastest 400-yard time of :19.63. He will enter this trial after posting two preparatory workouts, with the most recent being a 350-yard gate drill in :18.0 on February 23. Eduardo Nicasio will ride him from the outside post six. His main foes in this heat figure to be Tell Of The Past, who races for the Estate of Kim Kessinger. A gelding by Teller Cartel, Tell Of The Past won the John Deere California Juvenile Challenge by 3/4 lengths here in late August and then returned to finish second in a trial to the Grade1 Golden State Million Futurity. His last start was a troubled sixth place finish in a trial to the Los Alamitos Two Million. Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes finalist Patriot SR, Flat Out Swingin Separate High and Tiny Flying Corona will complete this field.

Robert Williams’ Perrys Affair will head the first trial after posting a solid second place finish in the $232,000 Los Alamitos Winter Derby on February 16. The son of Mr Jess Perry broke his maiden in the trials to the Winter Derby with an impressive half-length victory. This will be his fourth consecutive start at 400 yards. Owned by the partnership of Abraham, Balgo Racing, D. & R. Hinkins, Hubbard and Smith, Mr Ease Cartel will be making his 400-yard debut in the El Primero trial against Perrys Affair. Mr Ease Cartel was a solid 1/2 length winner in his sophomore debut against an allowance field on February 17. He was third in last year’s Kindergarten Futurity.

The opening trial of the night will also feature Patron Platinum, who ran second in his trial to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, plus allowance winner Tres Primeros and Mrthirtyeightspecial and Thaicoon, who broke their maidens at the end of the 2012 meeting.

Paul Jones and Thompson Racing Inc’s Henoshersecret is one of the top names in the third trial of the night based on his appearances in the Governor’s Cup Futurity and Golden State Million Futurity. Sired by No Secrets Here, the colt qualified to both of those races by posting impressive trial victories. Ramon Sanchez will ride. Cesar Edgardo Muniz’s Sugarbear Sax Man competes in this trial after enjoying a solid freshman campaign. He won the Autumn Handicap, finished second in the Corona Chick Handicap and qualified to the Kindergarten Futurity last year. Maiden Stakes finalist Follow The Dream, Tahma Hawk Chop, Votemout and Ocean Won Away will also race.

The fourth and final trial will be headed by Hector Hernadez’s Winter Derby finalist Blistering Speed, Jose and Gustavo De La Torre and San Gregorio Racing Stables’ A Regal Hawk and David Brownell’s Golden State Juvenile Stakes finalist Stel Redneck. Blistering Speed won his Two Million trial last year and was a strong second to the impressive Creole Williams in the Winter Derby trials. He broke nicely in the derby final, but then got pinballed shortly after and had to settle for a sixth place. A Regal Hawk is the x-factor in the trials, as he’s only raced once before and that was a solid 3/4 length victory last month. Tortosa, Slump Buster and Mr Jay P complete this field.